Top Art Competitions 2025

Discover current open calls for national and international art competitions.

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  • Clear overview of the best grants, prizes, residences
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  • Deadline reminders and agenda
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Deadline

June 1, 2025

Information

Point North - The Dover Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Ceramics

Reward

10,000 £

Location

Durham
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of United Kingdom

Deadline

June 12, 2025

Information

Northern Festival of Illustration Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Drawing / Graphic
Theme: Illustration: Stories of Home

Reward

1,000 £
500 £

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

June 20, 2025

Information

Circa Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Video
Theme: REFUGIA

Reward

30,000 £ + Exhibition at Piccadilly Lights
10,000 £

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

For early-career artists

Deadline

June 22, 2025

Information

Royal Scottish Academy of Art - William Littlejohn Award

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Drawing / Graphic
Theme: Water-based media

Reward

2,000 £ + Exhibition

Location

Edinburgh
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Scotland (GB)
Nationality: Scottish
In the case of students applying, entrants must either be graduating in 2024 or currently studying at postgraduate level at one of the art schools in Scotland

Deadline

June 30, 2025

Information

ACS Studio Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Photography / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

£6,000 for the costs of a studio

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Nationality: German, British, French, Spanish, Italian, Australian, Austrian, Belgian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Cypriot, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Icelander, Irish, Latvian, Liechtensteiner, Lithuanian, Luxembourger, Maltese, New Zealander, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian, Swedish
Entrants must be UK, EEA, Australian, or New Zealand nationals with UK residency rights for 2025–2026, and current or recent (within four years) graduates of undergraduate or postgraduate art courses

Deadline

June 30, 2025

Information

London Graphic Centre - Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Drawing / Graphic

Reward

5,000 £
2,000 £
500 £

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of United Kingdom

Deadline

July 14, 2025

Information

Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Literature / Curatorial
Theme: Art Writing

Reward

1,000 £ + Review in The Burlington Magazine

Location

n.a.
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Art Competitions – Prizes, recognition and exposure

Art competitions are great opportunities for artists, offering cash prizes along with the rewards of exposure and recognition. By validating your artistic practice, they increase your visibility in the art world. Art competitions can serve as a catalyst that accelerates an artist's progress to success. Visit our website to view the best current art competitions.

Are you looking for open calls for art competitions in a specific country or city? Check our carefully chosen selections:
FAQs: Art Competitions

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding art competitions here:

What is an art competition?

Art competitions are events where artists are invited to submit their work based on a particular theme or category. Organized by a variety of entities such as institutions, galleries, or other art organizations, these competitions aim to identify, acknowledge, and support talented artists. A panel of judges typically awards prizes, exhibitions, publications, or other forms of recognition to the best entries. Winning art competitions offers artists crucial exposure and recognition.

What are typical prizes of art competitions?

Art competitions offer artists a variety of prizes. These can range from cash awards, to opportunities in order to exhibit works and gain exposure. Some competitions also offer artist residencies, scholarships, as well as art supplies or equipment as prizes. Winners may have their work featured in a catalog, an art magazine, or on an online platform, increasing recognition and exposure. Ultimately, winning awards become a valuable addition to an artist's resume.

The list of art competitions on our website specifies in each case clearly what the “prize“ entails.

How does the judging process work?

The jury panel generally consists of a number of distinguished persons from the art world, who, over the course of several rounds, individually decide which applications to eliminate or pass on to the next rounds. Shortlisted works are then subjected to further scrutiny. The process concludes with the panel collectively deciding on the winners.

How do I apply for an art competition?

Most open calls for art competitions require artists to submit a comprehensive application, including a portfolio, an artist statement, and a resume. The number of applicants for art competitions is often high, especially for the more prestigious prizes. Therefore, your application needs be impactful, clear, straightforward, and inviting to review.

Do you need help in these matters? Check our online courses “How to make a portfolio” and “How to write an artists statement” which serve as step-by-step guides giving you all the tools you need to build a strong application for art competitions.